Glaucoma is a leading cause of blindness, particularly among African Americans and Hispanics. Glaucoma affects over 3 million Americans and is the cause of 120,000 cases of blindness in the United States. Direct costs are estimated to be $3 billion annually. There is no cure currently for glaucoma, although early detection and regular treatment can prevent vision loss from the disease. My research focuses on using new imaging techniques to develop sensitive biomarkers for glaucoma for early detection. This could potentially save vision for thousands of Americans, allowing patients with glaucoma to continue to work and drive. This has the potential to reduce direct health care costs as well as save millions more to society.
